Chantal Eustace and Rebecca Lindell of the Vancouver Sun are reporting that everything from Kits to the Drive are Olympic dead zones.
Compared to the Olympic herds tearing through the downtown core, areas such as Kitsilano, South Main Street or Commercial Drive seem downright empty. Depending on whom you talk to, these local hubs are either Olympic dead zones or understated hot spots — offering a much-needed reprieve from three-hour lineups, elbow-to-elbow sidewalks and standing-room-only pavilions.
Their article seems to have some mixed messages when it comes to Kitsilano.
It seems easier than usual to find street parking in Kitsilano since the Games began, observed Unity Whittaker, owner of U — The Life Accessory Store.
“Business is almost quieter than usual for us,” she said, adding it’s been disappointing. “I thought it would be busy.”
But next door at Brown’s Social House on Fourth Avenue, customer volume has gone up over the past week, manager Scott Harris said Sunday.
He said the weekend was busier than the opening weekend of the Games, bringing in customers from around the world, including Russia and Sweden.
“It’s an international crowd,” said Harris, before excusing himself to get back to work. “We are extremely busy this weekend.”
What does everybody else think? And have the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce and the West 4th Avenue Business Improvement Association done enough to get Games visitors to cross the Burrard Street bridge?
